Category Archives: Devotion

THE COMMAND Part 1

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The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.”            Genesis 12:1 NIV

 

Abram was commanded to do three things; leave his country, his family, and his father’s house. This is exactly the command that comes to every person who hears the call of the gospel today. We are called to leave our country, the place where we have been living, our residence since birth. That is not, of course, our physical residence, but rather the old life with all its ambitions, its loyalties, its worship of money and fame and power, its imagined independence which is really slavery! All that we have been by nature since birth. Abram was also told to leave his relatives. In the spiritual sense these are the moral forces that shape our lives. The opinions of others, pressures from family and friends, the attitudes of our employers and others around us. When the Lord confronts us with His call, these are not to count any longer. We are not to consider what others think but rather be concerned about what the Lord thinks. The third thing Abram was to leave was his father’s house. Our father, in this sense, is Adam, the father of us all. What theologians call our “Adamic nature” is the father’s house in which we all live. We are called to leave this, no longer put any dependence upon our looks, talents, or any of our normal resources, but to begin to walk in dependence upon the Lord, who can do through us that which we cannot do ourselves.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, as Abraham obeyed Your command, help us to do the same.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord as Abraham obeyed Your command to leave, through the indwelling power and ministry of Your Holy Spirit, help us to do the same. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Colossians 1:3-12

 

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THE BEGINNING OF FAITH

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“Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Harran, they settled there.”         Genesis 11:31 NIV

 

We begin a journey of looking into Abraham’s life, where we will find a reflection of our own lives. Discovering the very secrets by which the Holy Spirit intends to transform us from faltering pilgrims to men and women of strong faith. Abraham is first introduced to us in the closing verse of Genesis 11, and the opening verses of Genesis 12. His name was originally Abram, and it was not until years later that it was changed to Abraham. We know from Stephen’s great speech, recorded in Acts 7:1-53, that this call came to Abraham when he lived in Ur of the Chaldees. It was once thought that Ur was a very primitive city. But archaeologists have since discovered that Ur, was a city of great wealth and considerable culture, containing a library and a university. A city devoted to the worship of the Moon Goddess. Stephen declared that the Lord of glory appeared to Abram in Ur. We have no knowledge of the form this appearance took, but the initiative came from the Lord. This is true throughout all human history. He is always seeking us. The Lord suddenly breaks into the life of Abram, as he lived in Ur, worshiping the moon and idols. Here he came face to face with a command and a promise; he was commanded to go, and he was promised a land.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, as You sought out Abraham, thank You for seeking us out.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, as You sought out Abraham, You are continually seeking us, that we will hear Your call upon our lives, as with Abraham. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

 

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WHAT A NAME!

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“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”            Hebrews 1:3 NIV

 

The name Jesus conveys different things to different people. Depending on the individual, it can mean an historical figure, a good teacher, a prophet, or a curse word. Yet to many throughout the world, that name is synonymous with “Lord and Saviour.” What is it about that name? Why do some respond in praise and worship while others react in profanity and anger? The answer is that Jesus isn’t simply a person; He’s an issue. Our response to who He is determines not only our way of life, but also our eternal destiny. The name of Jesus Christ represents all He is and all He does. Scripture identifies Him as the Son of God, equal to the Father in character and attributes: He is eternal, all-powerful, sovereign, and ever-present. The Bible also says He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Colossians 1:16). Jesus came to earth as the God-man for the purpose of saving humanity. Because He lived a perfect life, Christ is the only person in history who is qualified to pay the penalty for someone else’s sin. He secured our forgiveness and offers us the gift of salvation based on faith. One day Christ will sit as humanity’s ultimate, final judge. Those who have accepted His payment for their sins will live with Him forever. Have you chosen to receive Christ’s offer of salvation? If you’ve never made the wise decision to accept His free gift, why not do so now?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge my sin and accept Your salvation.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord Jesus Christ, I acknowledge that I have sinned and receive Your offer of salvation. Accepting Your free gift today of the forgiveness of my sin. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

 

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GODLY THINKING

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“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”              Philippians 4:8 NIV

 

At salvation, we were set free from the power of sin and given the ability to think and live as Jesus did. To make that potential a reality requires diligent effort on our part and surrender to the Holy Spirit. After acknowledging a need for changed thinking, our first step is a commitment to pursue godliness. Then we must measure our opinions and choices against God’s Word, regularly asking ourselves, Is my thinking, attitude, or behaviour in line with the character of God and the truths of Scripture? We should take note of what is absorbing our attention. It is not healthy to fill our minds with media reports, Web sites, or television programs that do not reflect God’s values. The apostle Paul gave us a measuring stick to use in deciding what is worthy of our attention: he said to dwell on those things that are true, honourable, and worthy of praise. Finally, we must discipline our mind to reject ungodly thought patterns. Those who battle addictions can testify about the mind’s power to overcome good intentions. Unhealthy, repetitious desires cause us to feel guilty, keep us from connecting with God, and make us a poor witness to others. Through the Holy Spirit’s power, we must learn to reject such thought patterns and embrace what God says. Developing a lifestyle of righteous living begins with what we believe. How closely does your thinking match the Lord’s?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, show us when our thinking does not match that of Jesus.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Holy Spirit, through Your indwelling presence and power, we can learn to reject all thought patterns that do not reflect Jesus and embrace what God’s Word says. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

 

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OUR THOUGHTS

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The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.                 1 Corinthians 2:15,16 NIV

 

God calls us to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15-16). This requires both the Holy Spirit’s help and our cooperation. We should begin with our thought life because our actions are based upon what we believe. The first step is to acknowledge that our thoughts need changing. Selfishness, jealousy, and other unrighteous behaviour come from ungodly thinking. Examining ourselves will reveal impure thoughts. Our Father wants these replaced with thinking bent toward forgiveness and kindness. This will happen as we cooperate with the Holy Spirit in renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). Next, we make a commitment to the Lord that we will pursue godliness. This promise is much more than a New Year’s resolution. It encompasses our entire being and is expressed as a desire to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). It means dedicating ourselves to become like our Saviour. Daily time in His Word will keep our resolve strong. Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit will transform our minds and strengthen our inner being to bring about any needed changes. If we neglect Bible study, we leave ourselves open to the influence of the world and our “flesh,” neither of which cares about godliness. Becoming holy is a lifelong process that requires understanding of God’s ways, plans, and priorities, and adopting them as our own. It means letting the Holy Spirit develop within us the mind of Christ.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, develop the mind of Jesus within us.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, becoming holy is a lifelong process that requires understanding of Your ways, plans, and priorities, and adopting them as our own. Holy Spirit develop within us the mind of Christ. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Ephesians 2:4-10

 

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HIS WAYS

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“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.          Isaiah 55:8 NIV

 

Looking at difficulties from a human perspective can make us panic. It may be ill health, a financial crisis, or a broken relationship that causes our hearts to tremble. But God calls us to view life with eyes of faith. To live in this way means believing that through Jesus Christ, God will meet all of our needs, including love, security, and acceptance (Philippians 4:19). Divine love for us was demonstrated at the cross; there, Jesus died for our sins so we might be forgiven and reconciled to the Father. His affection for us is so deep that we can never reach the end of it (Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 3:18). Then, because of our position in God’s family, we are eternally secure. We are adopted as children of the heavenly Father, with full rights and privileges of heirs (Romans 8:17). Our adoption is permanent, since it is based on Jesus’ atoning sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27). What’s more, the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit is evidence that the Father has accepted us. His Spirit acts as a seal and guarantee of our position in Christ (Ephesians 1:13). Even though earthly relationships may crumble, our union with the Lord is forever. He keeps every one of His promises, and He will never let us down. When we are convinced that God will provide for us, our approach to life changes. Then, we live not by sight, which tells us to worry, but rather by faith in the One who saved us. Are we walking His ways today?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord, as we walk in Your ways, we are blessed with peace and strength.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, thank You for keeping every one of Your promises, and never letting us down. As we live convinced that You will provide for us, our approach to life changes. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Mark 5:25-34

 

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GIVING NEW LIFE

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“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”        Romans 6:11 NIV

 

“Lord, I have really messed up my life. I wish I could just start over.” Have you ever felt this way? Maybe you are even wondering if life is worth living. Well, I have some bad news and some good news. First, you cannot change your past, it is firmly set in history. However, you can start over, no matter where you are right now. The Holy Spirit specializes in giving new life. All who have believed in Christ and trusted in Him for salvation have His Spirit dwelling within them. New life begins immediately for all who choose to accept His offer of the forgiveness of their sins. There is no more condemnation, and they are set free to begin living for Christ. How easy life would be if that were the only fresh start we’d ever need. But our old sinful tendencies, which the Bible calls “the flesh”, are not removed at salvation. Throughout life, there will be times when we will need to go back and make things right. The Holy Spirit is ever present, empowering us to say no to the flesh and yes to Christ. Stop and consider the strength of the One who lives within you. He has all the power of almighty God, who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). Is your situation more difficult than a resurrection? By setting our minds on the things of the Spirit and living under His authority, we can put to death the sinful actions and habits that have made a mess of our lives. The Lord wants to set us free from addicting pleasures and drives that lead only to pain and heartache.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, lead us from the mess of our lives to life in Jesus Christ.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

By setting our minds on the things that please You, Holy Spirit, and living under Your authority, we can put to death the sinful actions and habits that have made a mess of our lives. So living the new life You bring into us. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Ephesians 1:3-10

 

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THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”                          John 16:13 NIV

 

Knowing He’d soon have to leave, Jesus gave His disciples this encouragement: God would send a Helper to indwell, guide, and empower them. In Acts 2:4, as promised, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. We enjoy the same blessing: the third member of the Trinity takes up residence within us as we trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord. But God’s Spirit also has a role in the life of nonbelievers. Namely, He has a threefold task in drawing them to our Lord. He convicts the world of: Sin: His goal is not just to bring a guilty feeling, but to show the need for a Saviour. Righteousness: To come to faith, one must understand that Jesus Christ lived a holy life but was crucified for our sin. Then He rose again, conquering death and offering redemption to all. Judgment: Scripture teaches that after death, those who didn’t trust Jesus as Savior will stand before God and be judged. The Holy Spirit is crucial to salvation. For one thing, Satan has blinded unbelievers to the truth about God (2 Corinthians 4:4), but the Holy Spirit can open their understanding. What’s more, the unsaved are dead in their sins (Ephesians 2:1). Just as a corpse cannot breathe life into himself, a lost soul is unable to understand spiritual truth. Every salvation is clearly a supernatural act of God. Let us witness in the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Lord Jesus, thank You for making us Holy Spirit empowered witnesses.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, we acknowledge that everyone who experiences salvation, is your supernatural act through the power and ministry of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for making us Holy Spirit empowered witnesses. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

John 1:9-17

 

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JESUS’ AMAZING GIFT

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Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”           Acts 2:38 NIV

 

Yesterday I described the change from His Old Testament role of short-term empowerment to His residing permanently within every believer – starting at salvation. Unfortunately, many Christians assume that the indwelling is an event that occurs sometime after one is saved. The question, “Have you gotten the Holy Spirit?” still gets asked, as if receiving Jesus and being indwelled by His Spirit are unrelated events. Here is the plain truth: A new believer receives the Holy Spirit’s indwelling presence at salvation. We need not attend a special service or pray for His arrival. The moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ, as our Saviour and Lord, His Spirit comes to abide with us forever. The Bible clearly tells what happens: 1) we listen to the gospel; 2) we believe the gospel; 3) we’re sealed in Christ with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). In John 14:16, Jesus says of the Holy Spirit, “The Father will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever.” That means He is there to stay. The Holy Spirit lives permanently within us, as Christians. This is important, since without Him, it’s impossible to serve God successfully or joyfully. Once we understand this fundamental truth, our faith is going to grow. We’ll know that rather than trying to “get the Spirit,” we need to live like the Spirit-filled Christians we are. Are you living and depending on the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power every day?

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, thank You that we live each day in dependence upon You.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Holy Spirit, thank You for living permanently within us. For without You, it’s impossible to serve our Lord successfully or joyfully. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

1 Corinthians 12:4-7

 

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PENTECOST

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“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”          Acts 2:1 NIV

 

The Holy Spirit did not make His first appearance at Pentecost. We find Him mentioned as early as the creation account (Genesis 1:2). He is also shown to be doing the Father’s work throughout the Old Testament and Gospels. However, the Spirit arrived in the upper room with a fresh mission from the Father. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit empowered individuals for specific tasks. For example, Bezalel’s God-given wisdom and craftsmanship enabled him to become the Tabernacle’s chief architect (Exodus 31:1-5). We also read that the Spirit settled upon leaders needing help in administration (Numbers 11:16-17); warriors facing formidable tasks (Judges 6:34; 1 Samuel 16:13), and men called to proclaim God’s word (Isaiah 61:1; Ezekiel 2:1-4). When the Lord wanted a job done, He chose someone to do it. Then the Holy Spirit equipped him or her for the task. He gave power only to certain people and didn’t necessarily remain with them long. Indicating that the Spirit’s involvement with believers would be different than before, Jesus told the disciples, “He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). God’s Holy Spirit had come alongside the disciples during their time with Christ. But following the completion of Jesus’ work on earth, He would dwell within them. Since Pentecost, every believer has received the Holy Spirit. He no longer comes and goes but rather remains permanently in us. He seals us in Christ as proof of the promise that we are forever in God’s presence (Ephesians 1:13-14).

 

PRAYER THOUGHT

Holy Spirit, thank You for sealing us in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

PRAYER FOR TODAY

Thank You, Lord Jesus, since Pentecost, every believer has received the Holy Spirit. Thank You Holy Spirit, that You no longer come and go but You remain permanently in us. Sealing us in Christ as proof of the promise that we are forever in God’s presence. AMEN

 

INTERNATIONAL BIBLE READING ASSOCIATION (IBRA)

Titus 3:3-8

 

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